Conservative Pundit S.E. Cupp Says the White House Is Unsafe for Women

Conservative commentator S.E. Cupp conveyed a stunning reality on the Monday broadcast of her HLN show: Women who work at the White House are not safe there and should stay home from work until they are.

"Every single woman in this White House should stay home until someone with some independent authority can promise them they are safe at work," she said.

Cupp's warning comes on the heels of two high-profile departures from the White House following allegations of domestic abuse.

SPONSORED

First, staff secretary Rob Porter left when it was revealed his two ex-wives had accused him of physical and emotional abuse. Then speechwriter David Sorensen left Friday night after his ex-wife came forward saying he had run over her foot with a car and burned her hand with a cigarette.

Even more concerning than the fact that these two men worked at the White House until last week, is that the White House seemed indifferent about employing abusers. Reports suggest that Chief of Staff John Kelly knew the accusations against Porter were credible for months and did nothing. In fact, he defended Porter when the details first emerged.

Neither of the two former staffers appears to have been granted a full security clearance, and other staff background checks are reportedly unfinished.

Meanwhile, communications director Hope Hicks was reported to be in a relationship with Porter.

It's not clear if any high-ranking officials had information about the allegations against Sorenson, but Kelly's treatment of Porter hardly inspires confidence.

Jack Kingston, a Trump ally, defended the White House to Cupp, though he said it could have handled the fallout better. He pointed to Kellyanne Conway and Transporation Secretary Elaine Chao, two powerful women in the Trump administration, as evidence that women can feel comfortable in the White House.

Even Kingston, while trying to defend the White House, admitted that Trump has failed to clearly communicate support for the victims of domestic violence. Given that more than a dozen women have accused the president himself of abuse or harassment, maybe this shouldn't be much of a surprise.

Don't let big tech control what news you see. Get more stories like this in your inbox, every day.

Cody Fenwick is a reporter and editor. Follow him on Twitter @codytfenwick.